An ‘invasion’ of these berry-loving birds has arrived in the UK
YOLOBirder on the waxwing, Tweet of the Day
PUNK-CRESTED WAXWINGS ARE AMONG THE showiest birds of winter, with dusty pink plumage offset by a neat bandit mask. The name comes from the curious little red blobs on the tips of some of their secondary wing feathers, which resemble the sealing wax of old. No-one knows what function these might have, though they might play a part in courtship. Despite their exotic looks, however, waxwings are most likely to be confused with starlings, which are a similar size and likewise seen in flocks. The similarity is most striking in flight.
Waxwings breed in Scandinavia and Siberia, only reaching the UK in significant numbers when the berry crop fails across their home range. In these so-called ‘invasion’ years, or irruptions, hungry flocks hundreds-strong arrive in northern and eastern counties. During the biggest irruptions, the debonair visitors push south and west through the country as supplies of their favourite mountain ash (rowan) berries are exhausted. Hungry waxwings on the hunt for fruit often turn up in trees beside town-centre car parks or busy roads, excited posts on social media tracking their every move.